Advertisement

New B/R mock trade sees Boston Celtics swap frontcourt players with Sacramento Kings

justin quinn
·4 min read
4

The Boston Celtics have some work to do on their frontcourt rotations if they truly want to make the leap to contender status, and while it seems unlikely such a leap would be made at the 2022 NBA trade deadline based on the chatter percolating up through the league, it is also not out of the question should the right deal come along for all the teams involved.

And to that end, Bleacher Report analyst Greg Swartz believes he has found such a trade for the Celtics and the Sacramento Kings. The proposed deal unites a longtime target of Boston with the team that has been looking to add him to their roster since the Danny Ainge era while getting younger and deeper in the process.

Let’s take a look at the trade Swartz has in mind for the Celtics.

The trade that the B/R analyst envisions for the two teams would send forward Harrison Barnes and center Alex Len to the Celtics in exchange for veteran big man Al Horford and Boston’s 2022 first-round draft pick, lottery protected.

“Boston has played much better as of late but should still be on the lookout for some shooters at the deadline,” writes Swartz.

“The Celtics rank just 22nd in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage (35.2) and need more floor-spacers for guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart to kick the ball out to.”

So how would this trade address those concerns, exactly? For starters, the long-distance capabilities of Tatum’s former Team USA compatriot.

“Barnes is hitting 43.6 percent of his threes off the catch (40.7 percent overall) and averaging 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for the Kings this season. He can play either forward position and could mix and match defensively with Tatum in the frontcourt.”

“Len would give Boston some big-man depth after losing Horford, and the move would also cut $2.9 million off Boston’s payroll, dropping them below the luxury tax,” notes Swartz.

So what would the appeal to the Kings be? Per the B/R analyst, tested postseason depth and additional draft capital.

“Horford would likely become the Kings’ starting power forward next to Richaun Holmes and give Sacramento a playoff-tested veteran in the locker room. The 35-year-old is still productive (10.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks a game) and is a better passer than Barnes, even if he’s not as accurate from deep.”

“Sacramento could keep its playoff hopes alive now with Horford and collect an extra first-round pick in the 2022 draft in the process,” suggests Swartz.

For Sacramento, it probably makes sense to get something for Barnes, whose future is clearly not on the same path as the Kings, and with plenty of bigs on their roster, throwing in Len for salary matching makes sense.

On Boston’s end, such a move would allow Boston to add some much-needed shooting to their rotation that would be a better fit next to Robert Williams III but also able to come off of the bench in some lineups while also providing an alternative to Enes Kanter for big man depth.

We suspect the Kings would want more in return for Barnes, but think would be a fair offer that would help solve problems for both clubs, if imperfectly.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=video id=01fv3c78er59j4s5ekc5 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fv3c78er59j4s5ekc5/01fv3c78er59j4s5ekc5-422ff45a7f992356717e816ca76715cf.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=89006,88477,85947,71141]

[listicle id=89142]

[vertical-gallery id=91461]

1

1